Bottom-discharge silo.



W. CHAINE. BOTTOM DISCHARGE SILO.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I4, 1914.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

/ y i 3620 4 v Y .Y 09% N Inventor Attorneys W. CRAINE.

BOTTOM DISCHARGE SILO. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I4, IsI4.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Z0 l y Attorneys Patented Dec.. 28, 191:5.

PANT @FFUEO i WILLIAM CRAINE, or' BRoomIELD, NEW YORK.

BOTTOM-DISCHARGE SILO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-eel nee. es', rais.

Application led September 14, 1914. Serial No. 861,700. l

To all lwhom it may concern.'

- Be it known that I, WILLLAM (Emma, a

A. citizen of the United States, residing at Brookfield, in the county of Madison and State of New York,- have invented a new and useful Bottom-Discharge Silo, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a silo, and one object of the invention is to improve the wall, construction of the silo.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel conveyer mechanism adapted to remove the ensilage from the silo without opening the silo, the conveyer mechanism being adapted to move transversely of the axis of the silo, thereby to remove the ensilage throughout practically the'entire transverse area of the silo, to the end that the ensilagemay feed down readily by its own weight, as a portion of the ensilage is removed from the bottom of the silo.

It is within the scope of the invention to improve generally and to enhance the utility of. devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in View which will appear as the description pro` ceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what it claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows the invention in fragmental vertical section; 'Fig.2 is a cross section; Fig. 3 .is a fragmental horizontal section taken through the conveyer support; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a fragmental side elevation showing the wall construction of the silo; Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional detail illustrating a portion of the structure depicted in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 1s a fragmental elevation showing a modified form of wall construction; Fig. 8 is a cross section showing a portion of the structure delineated in Fig. 7.

The silo herein disclosed comprises a base 1 fashioned from anydesired material, and upon the base 1 is superposed the body of the silo. The body of the silo includes .a plurality of. upright staves 2, the longltudl- .nal edges of which are in contact, the staves being fashioned from wood. Surrounding the staves 2 is a filler 3 which maybe made of paper. About the filler 3 and linclosing the staves 2 closely are hoops 4 which may b e made'of wood. The hoops 4 extend at rlght angles to the staves 2 and each hoop 4 1s a separate unit. vThe transverse edges of the 'hoops 4 are in contact Ywith each other. Each hoop is divided, and the ends of each hoop are connected by cover plates 5 which may be fashioned from metal, securing elements 6 being employed for connecting the cover plates 6 withthe'ends of the hoops 4. In place of the hoops 4, metallic bands 7 may be employed,`the ends of the bands 7 being overlapped as shown at 7a, these overlapped ends 7a being united by securing elements 8, as clearly shown in Fig. l8.

Located within, the body portion of the ysilo and'eXtended inwardly from the body The Wings 9 may be connected by rungs 12,

to form a ladder. Obviously, the wings 9 and the adjacent portion of the wall of the silo deiinev a compartment within the contour of the silo, the Wall of the silo being devoid of openings adapted for the removal of the ensilage, the ensilage being removed' by a conveyer mechanism which will be described hereinafter.

If desired, a small door 14 may be located adjacent the bottom of the silo, not for the purpose of removing ensilage, but merely to give access to the convever mechanism hereinafter described.

1 In the base 1 of the silo, there is formed a cavity 15 having an outwardly extended mouth 16. Disposed in the mouth 16 of the base is a box-like casing 17 including a top plate '18 the outer edge of which is formed into a rack 19.

rllhe invention includes a conveyer support 20 in the form of a block and comprising a circular body 21 having an extension 22 which projectsl outwardly. The `conveyer support 20 is provided at the center of the circular body 21 with shafts 23 whichare journalcd in the upper and lower'portions of the casing 17, to the end that the conveyer support 20 may swing horizontally. EX- tended. through the body portion 21 of the sop conveyer support and through the extension 22 thereof is a bore 24. A portion of the bore 24 which lies in the extension 22 is open at its bottom but normally is closed by a bottom plate 25, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Attached to the forward or outer end of the extension 22 is a bracket 26 having wings 27 engaging the side faces of the extension 22 and overlapped on top of the extension. The bracket 26 carries a bearing 28. Upstanding from the bracket 26 is an arm- 29 which overhangs the top of the forward end of the extension 22. In the arm 29 is journaled an upright shaft 30 provided at its upper end with a head 31 equipped with one -or more openings 32 adapted to receive a lever orthe like whereby the shaft 30 may be rotated. At its lower end, the shaft 30 carries a pinion 33 which meshes into the rack 19.

The conveyer which is carried by the conveyer support 20 may be of any desired form. In the present instance, the conveyer is shown as comprising a shaft 34 journaled in the bearing 28 and provided with a crank 35 or other suitable means whereby the shaft may be rotated. At its innerend, the shaft carries lan auger 36 lying partly inthebore 24 of the conveyer support and extended into the cavity 15, A closure 37 4is pivoted as shown at 38 to the side wings 27 ofV the bracket 26. When the conveyer 36 is in operation, the closure 37 is turned downwardly to forma' chute, as` sho'wn in Fig. l, but when the conveyer 36 is not in use, the closure 37 is turned 11p-into a vertical position soas to close the outer en d of the bore 24 of the conveyer support 20 partially, thereby to prevent air from entering the silo.

In practical operation, the conveying auger 36 is rotated through the medium of the-crank 35 o r its mechanical equivalent,

the ensilage within the silo being drawn outwardly. When the shaft 30 is rotated, the

pinion 33 thereon, meshing into the rack 19 formed upon the outer edge o'f the top plate 18 of the casing 17, will eHect a horizontal swinging ofthe conveyer support 20 on its shafts 23. Thus, the auger 36 maybe made -to sweep horizontally from one side of the cavity 15 tothe other. Thus, the ensilagemay .be .removed throughout the entire horizontal extent .of the cavlty and ,when a quantity `of ensilage has been removed in this' manner, the superposed ensilage will move downwardly by gravity and illthe cavity.

.It is to be observed that it is unnecessary to form doors in thev silo for the purpose of removing the ensilage, the door 14, as aforesaid, being used merely to give access to the conveyer mechanism.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The combination Ywith a silo having a sub-structure, of a tubular carrying member mounted on the sub-structure to swing transversely ofthe silo; a rigid auger journaled in lthe'carrying member,- the outer end of the auger being accessible from the outside of the silo; means on the outerend of the auger for rotating the auger; and meansv for imparting a swinging movement of the carrying member, wherebythe auger will swing transversely of the axis of the silo.

2. The combination with a silo having a sub-structure, of a tubular carrying member mounted on the sub-structure to swing transversely of the silo; arigid auger journaled in the carrying member, the outerv end of the auger being accessible from `the outside of the silo; means on the outer end of the auger for rotating the auger; and means for' imparting swinging movement to the carrying member, whereby the auger will swing transversely of the axis of the silo, the substructure being provided with a recess in which the auger is mounted to move transversely, that portion of the sub-structure which lies beyond the .opening constituting a means for upholding a part of the contents of the silo, to prevent an undue pressure on the auger.

A 3. The combination .with asilo, of aconveyer 'mounted to swing transversely of the ensilagein the silo and beneath the material in the silo; a means for; swinging the conveyertransversely; and a means for imparting an ensllage-vretracting movement to the conveyer; both of said meansbeing located outside of,thatf.p`ortion of the' silo which receives the ensilage.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingas.

my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in theV presence of two witnesses.

- y WILLIAM CRAINE. Witnesses: w

WM. @JOHNSON 

